Theft / Robbery / Mugging in Philadelphia

Theft is broadly defined as knowingly taking almost anything of value without the consent of the owner. Robbery is a theft committed with actual or threatened physical force against the victim. Typically, theft of property valued under $1,000 is a misdemeanor. If the property is valued above this amount, it is a felony and the classification of the felony increases at various values.

It’s important to contact an experienced Philadelphia criminal defense attorney if you have been charged with a theft or robbery. Philadelphia criminal defense attorneys can assess your legal issue and help develop a good defense strategy.

Recently in Theft / Robbery / Mugging Category

It's holiday season right now. Apparently, it's also theft season in and around Philadelphia.

There have been several cases of theft in the past few weeks in the Delaware Valley, many of which were caught on tape. Police are asking for the public's help in identifying the alleged culprits.

In one incident on Dec. 15, a man in North Philadelphia grabbed another man's cell phone and then pulled a gun on the victim after he gave chase. The alleged robber was caught on camera at a local Rite Aid pharmacy prior to accosting the man, Action News reports.

Surveillance cameras caught the man entering the Triumph Baptist Church on Hunting Park Avenue. He was seen in the video surveillance walking into an office on the second floor, where he took an iPad and a wallet containing ID and cash.

Marvin Gibson was sentenced Oct. 1 for three armed robberies in Philadelphia. No one was hurt in the stickups, but prosecutors charged Gibson with federal crimes under a law known as the Hobbs Act, reports Philly.com.

This is a unique case meant to send a loud message to criminals: If you plan to commit armed robbery, beware the Hobbs Act.

Even though it is a method of theft, it also sounds like it could be a brand new dance. Instead, the old smash and grab is a trick used to break into a car and grab the forgotten cell phone on the seat or the laptop on the floor.

Recently, three men walked into Tourneau Inc., a luxury watch store at the Kind of Prussia Mall, wearing masks and wielding a small sledgehammer, according to Philly.com. The security guard was threatened with the sledgehammer before it was used to smash the glass display cases, allowing the men to steal $477,000 worth of watches. All of this happening in less than 20 seconds.

Everyone's got mixed feelings about the "Occupy" movement. Sometimes you root for them because you agree that the banks are getting too much money and the rest of us are screwed. Other times you just see them as a bunch of spoiled college kids that should spend more time on their resume.

Whatever your leanings are at the moment, it is good to point out how best to protest. This is because David Gorczynski was protesting bank fees with signs saying, "You're being robbed" and "Give a man a gun, he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob a country," according to The Express-Times.

This whole “reality” TV thing has gone too far. Yes, we know this statement was made long ago, but still we have people who are famous for being their obnoxious selves. And there are so many that still want to be on TV that they would do just about anything.

For example, there was a recent robbery in Indiana, Pennsylvania where Randall Smith and Artie Goodwine allegedly told two men that they were filming a reality TV show called “You Just Got Robbed,” according to the Associated Press. During the robbery, one of them put the two men in headlocks while the other recorded it on his cellphone. The two made off with all of $20 before being arrested.

Junior Thug certainly sounds like it would be the name of the next big thing on the hip hop charts. However, unlike Lil' Bow Wow, or Bow Wow now that he's all grown up, this young man found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons.

It seems like a 12- or 13-year-old boy was trying to gain "street cred" by robbing passersby at gunpoint, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The boy tried to rob five separate people, including Phillip Lucas, a Daily News reporter. However, the boy did not actually get anything from his attempted robberies. Now police are looking for any information to find the boy.

Some people just don't get the idea that one's elders are to be respected. Instead, they just see them as easy targets to scam with fake products or to overpower and rob.

Maybe that's what Dimetry Worthy thought, who police arrested after multiple home invasions that included at least one attack on an elderly woman. Dimetry Worthy, 19, was caught wearing gloves and holding a hammer after allegedly attempting to break into Joan Stratz' home on Thursday, July 12, reports WTXF-TV.

Worthy is also suspected of beating 86-year-old Yevdokiya "Eva" Rulevskaya while burglarizing her home 24 hours before his arrest.

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The Philadelphia Criminal Law Blog tackles the latest developments and covers breaking news on the crime beat in the City of Brotherly Love. This blog helps Philadelphia residents stay informed about what crimes are affecting the city as well as providing helpful resources such as finding a PA criminal defense attorney. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.